Fan.



J. BECHTEL, SR. FAN; APPLICATION FILE-D AUG.6. [917.

1 268,%3 Patented June 4, 19-18.

pnirnn srarns PATENT @FETQE.

JOHN BECHTEL, SR, or EARLI-IAM, IOWA.

FAN.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN BEOHTEL, S12, a citizen of theUnited States, and resident of Earlham, in the county of Madison and State. of Iowa, have invented a certain new and useful Fan, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provid a fan of simple, durable and inexpensive construction.

A further object of my invention is to provide a framework so constructed that it may be attached to a bed or readily detached therefrom and to provide a fan supportfrom said framework whereby the henefits of the fan may be secured at whatever point most needed and Where ordinary source of power are not available.

A further object of my invention is to provide a frame so constructed that clamps may be secured to the lower ends of the supporting rods, which will not mar the bed or the part thereof to which the clamp is fixed and, which is provided with arrangements whereby the clamping device may be quickly and readily adjusted to the posts that vary considerably in size, while at the same time an extremely positive lock or gear is secured.

A further object, of my invention is to arrange an extra source of power for driving a fan which is substantially noiseless in operation and which is capable of being adjusted to drive a fan at a variety of speeds whereby the current of air created by the fan may be regulated.

With these and other objects in view, my invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplatedare attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of the upper portion of a bed having my improved fanning device attached thereto.

Fig. 2 shows a side elevation of the clamping device by which the supporting rods are secured to the bed posts.

Fig. 3 shows a top or plan view of the clamp with the bed post shown in section.

Fig. 4: shows a side elevation of my improved motor having parts broken away to better illustrate the construction.

Fig, 5 shows an end elevation of the mo- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 6, 1317.

tor wherein the casing is broken away to better illustrate the construction, and

Fig. 6 shows a top or plan view of the latch device which controls the operation of the fan lever.

Referring to the accompanying drawings 1 have used the reference numeral 10 to indicate generally a bed having posts 11 to which are secured upright rods 12. The upper ends of the rods 12 are bent to converge toward a common point above the center of the bed or preferably somewhat toward the head of the bed. These rods have their upper ends connected to a cas ing 13, which houses the motor mechanisms which drives the fan. Suspended from the housing 13 is a fan lever 14 at the lower end of which is a fan 15. A cross brace 16 extends between the rods 12 at the head of the bed and intermediate of its ends supports a spring 17, which is at its other end secured to the fan lever 14:. A second cross brace 18 extends between the rods 12, which are secured to the posts at the foot of the bed and intermediate of its ends supports a pulley 19. A second pulley 20 is secured to the foot of the bed in any suitable manner or may be secured to one of the rods 12 at the foot of the bed if so desired. A flexible device 21 has one end secured to the fan lever 1e and is then extended through pulleys l9 and 20 to position adjacent to the head of the bed.

The fan lever 14 is pivoted to the bottom of the housing 13 at 22 and its upper end extended some distance into the housing above the point 22. A horizontal shaft 23 is ournaled in any suitable manner in a support 24 at one end of the shaft 23 above the lever 14 and a sprocket wheel 25 is secured having a plurality of pins 26 extending from its periphery. At the other end of the shaft 23 a pinion 27 is secured, which is adapted to mesh with another pinion 28, which is mounted on the same shaft as the pinion 29. The pinion 29 meshes with another pinion 30, which is in turn mounted on the shaft 31 to which a sprocket or other suitable source of power 32 is secured. Means such as a lug 33 extend from the housing 13 to which a key may be attached to wind the spring 32, Below the support 24 a second support 35 is mounted whereo-n a latch mechanism is secured adapted to normally extend into the path of travel of the pins 26. The latch mechanism consists of guides 86, which are spaced from each other and a pin or latch rod 87, which extends outwardly from the support 35 into the path of travel of the pins 26 and the upper end of the lever 14. A collar 38 is secured to the latch 37 and a spring 89 coacts with the collar 38 and one of the guides 36 to normally yieldingly hold the latch 37 extended into the path of travel of the pins 26. The end of the latch adjacent to the pins 26 is beveled at 40, so that when the lever 14 swings to position it hits the latch 37 to move the latch back out of the way of the pins 26.

Means for clamping the ends of the supporting rods 12 to the posts of the bed 11 consists of a pair of spaced gripping jaws 41 and 42, the jaw 41 being secured to the rods 12 by means of an outwardly extending ring or lug 43, which has a hole therein adapted to slidingly receive the post 12 and the set screw 44 whereby the rod 12 may be held from movement relative to the support 43. A pair of hooks 45 project laterally from each side of the gripping member 41. The gripping member 42 has a vertical central slot in its outer surface in which a cam 46 may be received. The cam 46 is mounted on the shaft 47, which has at one end a knurled turning wheel 48 and is rotatably mounted in the ends of the links 49. Ears 50 project from the gripping member 42 and have openings therein adapted to slidably receive links 49, the latter being provided with hooks 51 adapted to carry over the hooks '45 of the gripping members 41.

In the actual operation of my device the supports 12 are secured to the four posts 11 of the bed by means of the clamping mechanism described, which it will be seen permits the supports 12 to be clamped to corner posts, which vary considerably in size. With this clamping mechanism the cam 46 may be turned to engage the groove in the outer surface of the clamping member 42, so that the links 49 will pull the clamping members 41 and 42 together very tightly to thereby make a positive grip on the surface of the bed post. When the supports 12 have been secured to the posts by means of the clamping mechanism the set screws 44 are turned to securethe supports 12 in such position that the cross braces 18 and 12 will be parallel and horizontal. The pulley 20 is then secured to the bed in any suitable way and in any place, so that when the flexible device 21 is passed therethrough it may be extended to the most convenient place for operating the fan. The fan is operated by pulling the flexible device 21, so that it would run on its pivot 22 away from the head of the bed, so that releasing the pullof the flexible device 21 will permit the spring 17 to return the fan to its former position. If it is desired to operate the fan by motor a suitable key is slipped onto the lug 33 and the spring 32 is wound until tight. When it is then desired to start the fan the flexible device 21 may then be pulled to position the fan at the limits of its movement toward the foot of the bed, so that the spring 17 may be returned to its position at the head of the bed. When it has accumulated suflicient momentum, the upper end of the fan lever 14 will displace the'latch 17 whereby the pin 26 adjacent thereto will engage the upper end of the lever 14 and carry it with it to the position shown in solid lines in Fig. 4.

It will'be understood that the latch 17 is so arranged and the other parts are so adjusted that unless the lever 14 strikes with some momentum, the latch will not be pushed aside whereby a pin 26 may be released to move the fan to the position shown in solid lines in Fig. 4.

It Will be understood that as soon as the latch 37 is moved aside by the lever 14 the pin 26 adjacent thereto is permitted to force the lever 14 to the left in Fig. 4 but as soon as the lever 14 has passed the latch 37 the latter will move it into the path of travel of the next pin 26, so that when the lever 14 reaches the position shown in solid lines in Fig. 4 where it is released from the pressure of the pin 26 which has pushed it, the spring 17 may then return the lever to the position to the right, which is shown in dotted lines.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that I have provided means whereby a frame adapted to support a fan may be positively secured to a bed while also providing means, so that the height of the fan may be regulated relative to the surface of the bed. I have also provided means for operating the fan either by hand or by motor powerand have so arranged the motor, which drives the fan so that it maybe stopped or started relative to being driven by the motor by either holding the fan 15 from movement by means of the flexible device 21 or by pulling the flexible device 21, so that the fan may be positioned to enable the spring 17 to get suliicient momentum to push aside the latch 37 whereby the fan may be continuously operated by the motor.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a device of the class described, a frame, means for securing said frame to a bed, said means being capable of adjustment whereby the frame may be brought to a desired height relative to the bed, a fan secured to the frame, said fan being pivotally mounted at its upper end and having its lower end extended to position above'the central portion of the bed, a'flexible device secured to said fan and a spring having one end secured to said fan and having the other end secured to said frame, said flexible device and said spring being so arranged that the flexible device may be pulled to move the fan in one direction while the spring moves it in the other direction.

2. In a device of the class described, a bed, a frame supported thereby, a casing supported by said frame, a lever pivotally mounted in the bottom of said casing intermediate of its ends, a fan secured to the lower end of said lever, a shaft journaled in said casing above the upper end of said lever, a wheel mounted on said shaft above said lever, a plurality of pins being adapted to extend into the path of travel of the upper end of said lever, a latch device adapted to extend into the path of travel of said pins and of said lever, said latch device being adapted to be pushed aside by the impact of the upper end of the lever thereagainst, means for revolving said wheel whereby the pins thereon may be coacted with the upper end of said lever to move said ends in one direction, a spring having one end secured to said lever and the other end secured to the frame whereby the lever may be moved in the opposite direction and a flexible device secured to said lever and adapted when pulled to move the lever against the pressure of the spring.

3. In a device of the class described, a bed,

a frame supported thereby, means for adjusting said frame vertically, a casing supported by said frame, a lever pivotally mounted in the bottom of said casing intermediate of its ends, a fan secured to the lower end of said lever, a shaft journaled in said casing above the upper end of said lever, a Wheel mounted on said shaft above said lever, a plurality of pins extended radially from the surface of said wheel, said pins being adapted to extend into the path of travel of the upper end of said lever, a latch device adapted to extend into the path of travel of said pins and of said lever, and said latch device being adapted to be pushed aside by the impact of the upper end of the lever thereagainst, means for revolving said wheel whereby the pins thereon may coact with the upper end of said lever to move said ends in one direction, a spring having one end secured to the frame whereby the lever may be moved in the opposite direction, and a flexible device secured to said lever and adapted when pulled to move the lever against the pressure of the spring.

Des Moines, Iowa, July 28, 1917.

JOHN BECHTEL, SEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). G. 

